Inkstand



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAMUEL DARLING, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

INKSTAND.

'Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 51,931, dated January 9, 1866.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, SAMUEL DARLING, of Bangor, in the county of Penobscot and State of Maine, have made a new and useful Invention having reference to lnkstands 5 and I do hereby declare the same to be fully described in the following specitcation and represented in the accompanying drawings, of which- Figure l denotes a top view, Fig. 2 a side eleva-tion, showing the cover as raised, and Fig. 3 a longitudinal section, ot' an inkstand as constructed in accordance with my invention, such latter section being taken through the dipping-cup and its vent-hole. Fig. 4 is an under-side view of the ink-fountain or upper portion of the inkstand, and Fig. 5 is a top View of the lower portion of the said stand.

lhe nature ot' my invention consists of an improved inkstand as made in two parts, each of which is formed tapering or inclined horizontally, and so connected that one of the said parts may be freely rotated on the other, in order that the ink in the dipping-cup may be maintained at any desired level within the same, and also as made with a supply-tube and a chambered projection underneath such tube, and also with a circular groove in the base or lower part, such groove being for reception ot' the chambered projection and to admit of its movement in a circle with and by the upper part or ink-holder of the inkstand; also, in the application or arrangement of a venthole in the upper part of the supply-tube or dipping-cup; also, in the application of a pendulous cover to a swinging bail applied to the inkstand, the same being so that by raising the bail the cover may be raised olf the mouth of the inkstand, and be caused, by the action of gravity, to fall backward therefrom.

In carrying out my invention I construct the body portion of the inkstand in two parts.

In the drawings, A denotes the upper, and B the lower, portion of the inkstand, each portion being of a frustoconical or other proper shape, and united at their greater bases.

Furthermore, each of such parts is made horizontally, as shown in Fig. 3. For the purpose of hiding the joint between the said parts a rim or bead, s, may be formed around either of the said upper or lower portions. The part A is made hollow, or is chambered, so as to constitute a fountain or reservoir, C, for the ink, such fountain being provided with a penpassage or dipping-cup, a, leading upward from the same. The said reservoir increases in depth from its front to its rear part, as shown in the said Fig. 3. The said dipping or pen cup is of a hollow frusto-conical shape, and its lesser base extends down and opens into the reservoir C. Directly underneath the said cup a chamber or cavity, e, is formed in a projection, b, which extends downward from the lower face of the part A, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. The object of making this chamber directly below the pen-cup is to prevent in= jury to the nib or point of the pen while being thrust into the cup, as 'well as to receive, any sediment which may be thrown down from the ink. D is another cylindrical projection or pin projecting axially downward from the lower face of the fountain or upper portion, A, and passing into a hole or socket, O,formed through the part B, as seen in Fig. 5. The said pin I) serves to connect the two portions A and B, and at the same time to allow either of the said parts to be freely rotated. fithin the upper surface of the said part B an annular groove or channel, d, is formed, such being for the reception of the projection b containing the sediment-chamber c, hereinbefore mentioned, and for allowing such projection to be moved throughout such groove during an entire revolution of thepartA on the part B. e is an air or vent hole, which opens out of the upper part of the dipping-cup and communicates with the interior of the ink-fountain. The object of such hole is twofold: first, to prevent any expansion of the air within the fountain from causing an overflow of the ink 5 and, second, to allow the air to escape from the fountain while the latter is being filled with ink.

For the purpose of preventing, as far as possible, any evaporation of the ink contained within the fountain, and to preclude the admission of dust or other foreign matter into the dipping or pen cup, I provide such cup with a self-adjusting and self-closing valve or cover, G, which I suspend from the central part of a curved wire or bail, H, the two eX- tremities of such bail being jointed or pivoted to opposite sides of the part A, as shown in Fig. 1. This valve or cover should be so hinged or jointed to the bail that whenever the hand of a person, after having effected the elevation of the bail so as to raise the cover off the mouth ot the inkstand, Inay have been withdrawn from the arm of the bail the gravitating power of the bail and its arm and the cover shall cause them to descend and the cover to close the said mouth.

I is a curved wire or lever, which is soldered or fastened to the bail H near its central part, and extends upward therefrom, as seen in Fig. 1. This arm or lever should be of such form and so arranged that it may be conveniently and readily met by the hand of a person while in the act of being moved toward the mouth of the inkstand for the purpose of inserting a pen therein, the pressure of the hand against the arm serving, under such circumstances, to raise the bail and its cover so as to open the mouth of the inkstand for introduction of the pen therein. During the act of withdrawing the pen and hand from the inkstand the bail and cover will descend, so as to carry the cover on and cause it to close the mouth. y

When the inkstand is to be charged with ink the fountain or part A is to be turned until the top surface thereof shall stand in a horizontal plane. The ink is next to be poured into the fountain until it shall become full, which will be indicated by its standing at the desired height in the dipping-cup. This having been done, all that is requisite to maintain the ink at the required level in the dippingcup is to simply turnthe part A upon its fellow B, as circumstances may require.

From the above it will be seen that my improved inkstand is not only simple in construction and capable of being readilyeharged` with ink, but such ink can easily be maintained at the desired height in the dippingcup, while at the Sametime such ink is most effectually protected from dust or oth er foreign matters.

I do not claim an inkstand made with its ink-holder and its base applied together with inclined surfaces and a pivot at the junction; nor do I claim the arrangement and combination of a bow-lever with a cover hinged directly to the pen-port, ring, or cap of an inkstand, the same being as represented in the n United States Patent No. 13,515; but

What I claim as myimprovement or invention in such an inkstand'is as follows:

1. The combination and arrangement of the pen-cavity c, the projection b, and the circular I the groove d with the pen passage or tube a, ink-reservoir A, and the base B, when such base and reservoir are made and applied together, with inclined surfaces at their junction, arranged in manner, and so as to operate substantially as described.

2. The arrangement of the vent-hole e in.

the upper part of the supply-tube or dippingcup, in manner and SAMUEL DARLING. Witnesses:

A. L. SIMPSON, WILLIAM H. ADAMS.

for the purpose specified. 

